Barak Approves More Settlement Units Before Heading To Talk “Peace” in Washington

Palestine Media Center

30 juin 2009,

Hours before he took off to Washington for talks with the US administration on peace and settlements, Israeli Army Minister, Ehud Barak, approved the construction of a new settlement in the so-called Benyamin region.

The approval came as part of a deal with the settlers who were evacuated from the illegal Migron settlement outpost.

The settlers would move into a new settlement of 250 houses after they evacuate their outpost built on privately owned Palestinian land.

Migron is inhibited by 45 families, only two families are living in permanent housing, while the rest are living in trailers.

The ministry stated that 50 houses will be built as the first stage until construction permits are issued to build more. It has a detailed plan for the construction of 1400 houses.

The plan was put forth after the Israeli High Court ordered that evacuation of Migron illegal outpost.

The Ministry signed an agreement with settler leaders of Migron stating that the illegal outpost, inhibited by 40 settler families, would be evacuated and the settlers would be moved to Adam settlement in the Benyamin region after the new constructions are completed.

Eitan Broshi, Barak’s advisor for settlement affairs, said that initially 190 homes would be built, but the ministry also approved the construction of 50 homes for the settlers of Migron.

The Israeli Housing and Construction Ministry had already filed a request to hook the new “neighborhood” with power and infrastructure.

Israeli online daily, Haaretz, said that in order to approve the 50 homes, the ministry would have to approve a detailed construction plan to build 1450 homes for the settlers.

Israeli Peace Now Movement stated that it filed an appeal against the 50 new homes for Migron settlers, and said that the construction is the first step towards expanding the Adam settlement.

The movement added that “instead of evacuating the illegal outpost of 40 families, the government is planning to construct a neighborhood which is 30 times bigger than Migron settlement”.